We have a 32 ft. Nordic Tug (2000) and are hoping to replace our carpeting with some type of wood floor. What type should we consider?...teak & holly, cork, bamboo, Nu teak, synthetic teak & holly...too many options to narrow down. Looking for durability, less expense. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

It's such a subjective thing that I'm afraid the only person who can narrow it down is you. I can tell you what I would prefer--- teak parquet or teak and lighter wood strips like Mark's cabin sole--- but that's just me.

An advantage of fake wood is that it's generally cheaper than real wood. Sometimes a lot cheaper--- if you've bought raw teak lately, which we just did the other day for a boat project, you'll know what I mean.

And I suppose there is the resale value of the boat to consider. Use something other people might not like and you can make the boat harder to sell later if you're concerned about that.

But in the end you're going to have to decide for yourself what you like the look of and what you're willing to spend and so on.

Nordic Tugs installs Amtico flooring at the factory these days (maybe it's an upgrade?). On the boats I've been on, Amtico looks nearly identical to the real thing. No idea what it costs.

Let us know what you end up with. I've got a 2000 Nordic Tug as well, and it's due for new flooring in the not-too-distant future. Real wood won't stand up to the dogs that are occasionally aboard, and I haven't really looked into alternatives yet...

Nordic Tugs installs Amtico flooring at the factory these days (maybe it's an upgrade?). On the boats I've been on, Amtico looks nearly identical to the real thing. No idea what it costs.

Let us know what you end up with. I've got a 2000 Nordic Tug as well, and it's due for new flooring in the not-too-distant future. Real wood won't stand up to the dogs that are occasionally aboard, and I haven't really looked into alternatives yet...

Do you know what kind of flooring they install under the carpeting? I assume it's plywood but don't know without pulling the carpeting up. I have attempted to contact Nordic Tug but as of yet have not received a reply. Grrr. We were looking at NuTeak and we love the look but we also know some folks that installed cork but haven't seen it. We are not planning to install it ourselves, so need to find a dealer. We are on the loop and are going back to our home for Memorial Day thru July 4 and thought we'd like to have it done while we are gone. We expect to be somewhere around the Chesapeake and will need to look for someone reputable in the area to do the work.

When we bought Willy there was carpet. We tore up the old carpet and painted the plywood floor w latex floor paint. Floor pain is formulated for follrs and "wears like iron". Dark green. Have a 2' X 2.5' throw rug just inside the salon door to wipe wet feet on. Still happy w the ply and paint. That reminds me .. need another coat of paint. This old pic shows the floor.

I would second the vote for cork. We have cork flooring from Wicanders, 'Auburn Series 100'. It looks like burled walnut, but is maintenance free, as well as sound proof, solvent proof, sound insulating, and feels good underfoot. I think it's supremely practical for a boat, and looks great.

I like teak, the real stuff, not plywood veneer. 1/4 inch thick 1 1/2 wide strips glued and screwed then bunged. I use 5200 for the stickum and 3/4 inch screws with fender washers to hold it down till the glue sets. Then pull the screws, drill the holes out to 3/8 inch with a forstner bit and glue in bungs. Then sand it all smooth. Its a lot of work but will last the life of the boat. My wife is into doing inlays and likes complicated patterns, fish, sealife, etc so I try to incorporate that as much as possible. If I knew how to add pics I would show one of a engine hatch she did, with a yellowfin tuna busting flying fish. All naturall wood with no stain. It looks awsome.

Don't do it. Just put new carpeting down. Most guys who install carpet can handle a boat. But, unless they are shipwrights, most carpenters can't put down a cabin sole. (hint: it ain't like laying a floor)

If I knew how to add pics I would show one of a engine hatch she did, with a yellowfin tuna busting flying fish. All naturall wood with no stain. It looks awsome.

I'd like to see that. To include a photo with a post select advanced, scroll down to manage attachments, open that, select the first "choose" button, navigate to your photo (there is a file size limit for attachments), tap your photo which will take you back to the attachments window, select "upload"' wait for the photo to do that ( it will indicate that it's loaded farther down in the window), and lastly select "submit reply." That's it.

You can attach up to ten photos using this method, one for each "choose" button. Your post will look like this one.

Carpet holds smells big time. First mate ordered it all gone, and it is. Boat smells much better. Laid down vinyl plank in the pilot house, looks great, and everybody's happy. The rest of the boat is just plain aluminum deck with rubber cover that you can roll up and take outside to hose off and clean. Got it at Grainger, its the stuff they use in restaurant kitchens that's easy on the feet and non slip.